Be There
by belgiques
Summary: What happens after the events of "By the Light of Moon". Tyler walks out of the darkness. But he doesn't do it alone. Tyler/Caroline.


**Be There**

Darkness was all that surrounded him. Nothing but the dark of night that felt unending, like the sun would never rise in his world again. And maybe for some reason, he hoped that it wouldn't.

But then he realized it. _In. Out._He was breathing. This startled him. He was back. It seemed like he sun was already starting to rise.

But that wasn't what had slowly brought him back to reality. He remembered now. It was _her_.

"Tyler?"

It had merely been a whisper, but it had been loud enough for him to hear. An image of the blond vampire, of his _friend_, invaded his mind and he understood he needed to say something.

"Caroline?" His voice sounded like it hadn't been used for a while, but he knew she heard it when the sound of something falling and the wooden door opening filled the cellar. She was calling his name again.

Soon she reached him and he felt the fabric on his skin followed by her ever so cold hands pulling him towards her.

"I'm here. You're okay. You made it, Tyler. You didn't get out. You're okay." This time it was barely a whisper, as if she was scared that too much noise might break him. But when he noticed the relief and emotion in her own voice, it had the same effect.

He managed to choke out "No, I'm not." The tears spilled as soon as they had welled up and this time, Caroline didn't disagree. She didn't do anything else but hold him and comfort him for what seemed like eons.

When he had reached for her hand, he didn't remember, but she'd held it ever since.

After a while, his body and mind seemed to calm down enough for him to think again and he shifted to face Caroline, who had her head resting on his shoulder until she felt him move.

The tear stains on her cheeks didn't go unnoticed, even with the faint smile on her lips.

"Are you... Are you okay?" he asked softly, hoping she got the deeper meaning. He didn't know what he would've done if he'd hurt her in any way.

She looked like she was about to cry. That was her immediate reaction to his question. He couldn't really place the look in her eyes though. Like she was... proud of him?

"I'm fine, Tyler, don't worry about me. I can handle myself." Her words held a little sense of defense, but he knew he shouldn't take it the wrong way.

She searched his face for any sign he wasn't going to be okay in the long haul. Signs were there, and she would take it upon herself to make them disappear. And it began with standing up and getting on. First literally, the rest would come after. She was there.

"Can you... stand? We have to get out of here. There's nothing here for us anymore." she said quietly. Tyler nodded and she held onto him while helping him up. His breathing was still shallow, his muscles protested against the movement but he wanted to walk out of this darkness. With her.

The sun was barely coming up, the horizon was just a shade of red. Caroline drove in silence, and it surprised him when she ignored the way back to his house. Instead she headed for hers.

He didn't mention it until she had parked the car and helped him inside, up to her room. Her bedroom was different than he'd expected. Much less girly than he'd thought. It was neutral but in a Caroline way; he could clearly recognize that this was her room. Pictures were all around and there was a warm atmosphere. Cosy almost.

He looked at her questioningly when they were both seated on her bed. She sighed, giving him a smile. One filled with sadness, but uplifting none the less. Pretty much how Caroline could be described in that moment.

"You probably don't want to go home and face your mom right away, I can imagine. And well, mine's never home so problem solved." The hurt was evident in her voice. He knew how it felt to have absentee parents, yet he knew it was harder on Caroline. She missed her mom, how close they had been before she'd become sheriff and she was a deputy. When her dad was still around.

Tyler reached out for her and took her hand in his. Her cold skin brought some relief to his burning skin. "I'm sorry." he said, knowing she would understand what he meant by it.

She nodded in thanks, keeping the tears in her eyes at bay. "Anyway," Caroline regained her composure and stood up, breaking away from Tyler's grasp. "There's something to eat and drink in the little fridge over there - don't worry, you won't find any blood. You can have my bed, I'll bunk on the couch. If you need anything, just call me. I'll hear." Her voice was more upbeat as she mentioned one of her favorite vampire traits. Tyler managed a genuine smile for his blond friend.

"Goodnight, Tyler. Or morning, whatever." she chuckled before heading downstairs.

When she was at the top of the stairs, his voice called out to her. "Stay for a while."

"What did you say?" she questioned when she re-entered the room, finding Tyler already sitting against the headboard.

"I thought you would hear me?" he retorted, a hint of that smirk on his face.

She hovered a bit, voicing her concern. "You really need to sleep, Tyler. Besides, my mom might show up and you know what she'd think..."

He didn't respond. His eyes were locked to hers and she ultimately gave in, taking off her jacket and shoes before climbing in beside him. She rested her head against the headboard as well and then it hit her, how tired she was. Her soft mattress had rarely felt so good. To top I off, Tyler's warmth beside her made her feel really comfortable. She knew she wouldn't be going back to the couch anymore.

"You did great tonight." she told him honestly, wanting to say _something_about it. "I knew you wouldn't get out."

Tyler looked at her and he recognized the same expression of pride and care she had earlier. "Caroline, I really want to thank you. I couldn't have done it if you hadn't been there."

"I told you I wasn't going anywhere. You don't have to thank me, Tyler."

"Still... You didn't have to take on my problems but you did. And I just..."

Even now, she was gazing at him with those beautiful eyes and that smile. Even now, she was there with him. Even now, she believed it was so normal they were _there_. When it wasn't.

Out of the blue, Tyler leaned over and pressed his lips against hers in a gentle but electrifying kiss. Caroline hesitated at first, then giving in and kissing him back, her hand resting on his chest carefully. When he pulled back, there was a smile on his face again. She was just speechless.

"Goodnight, Care. Or morning, _whatever_."

He lied down so fast, with his head turned away from her; she thought she'd dreamed it. She knew she didn't. Her lips tingled and she felt a blush creeping up her neck (if that was possible). She dared a peek at him with the barely noticeable smirk his lips displayed and she couldn't help but smile.

Boy, they would have something to discuss later. That wasn't just a "thank you" kiss, or a goodnight kiss. It was a real one. She had never imagined it'd feel so good.

Screw it, she thought to herself, shoving Damon's warnings and Stefan's concerns out of her mind. She moved closer to Tyler, maneuvering so that she was positioned under his arm and against his side. Instantly, his arm around her pulled her a bit closer before he found her hand and laced his fingers with hers.

Neither one would have any trouble sleeping tonight.

They didn't even stir when Liz came home a few hours later and found them in pretty much the same position. Her first thought was to wake them up that second and grounding Caroline, but when she looked at her daughter, that thought disappeared. It had been a while since she'd seen a smile on Caroline's face when she was around. It usually disappeared because of her. Now that she saw it again, apparently because of Tyler, she wanted to keep it there.

Maybe someday, Caroline would smile again when her mom was around.

That morning, Tyler left the Forbes' house with sore muscles and a tired mind, but more importantly, with a healing heart and renewed hope. Oh, and a kiss from the girl who was responsible for that - the girl he might be falling for. Let's not forget that.

* * *

><p><em>This is a one-shot that has been floating through my mind for a while. I hope you liked it, and if you did, please tell me so! :)<em>

_- Elien_


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